The illustrious surname Wollgroves is classified as a habitation surname, which was originally derived from a place-name, and is one form of surname belonging to a broader group called hereditary surnames. Habitation names were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Topographic names, form the other broad category of surnames that was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree.

Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. As a general rule, the greater the distance between an individual and their homeland, the larger the territory they were named after. For example, a person who only moved to another parish would be known by the name of their original village, while people who migrated to a different country were often known by the name of a region or country from which they came. Wollgroves is a place-name from in the place-name Walgrave, in now Northamptonshire. The location was called Waldgrave in the Domesday Book and was settled by Baron Fulcher de Maloure, a Breton from Maloures near Saint Brieux.

Wollgroves Early Origins

The surname Wollgroves was first found in Northamptonshire where the family was descended from Fulcher de Maloure, a Breton Baron from Maloures near Saint Brieux, in Brittany. Fulcher was granted two baronies in England in 1066, one in Rutland, and one at Walgrove in Northampton and held them from the Countess Judith. He was the sire of the Waldgrave family name.

Wollgroves Spelling Variations

Wollgroves Spelling Variations

Since the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules, Breton surnames have many spelling variations. Latin and French, which were the official court languages, were also influential on the spelling of surnames. The spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules. Therefore, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England after the Norman Conquest, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. The name has been spelled Waldgrave, Waldgreave, Woldgrave, Waldgraw, Wallgrave and many more.

Wollgroves Early History

Wollgroves Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wollgroves research. Another 171 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1205, 1619, 1338, 1410, 1382, 1383, 1386, 1388, 1389, 1404, 1661, 1689, 1687, 1688, 1687, 1689 and 1688 are included under the topic Early Wollgroves History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wollgroves Early Notables (pre 1700)

Wollgroves Early Notables (pre 1700)

Notable of this family during the Middle Ages was Sir Richard Waldegrave (ca. 1338-1410), a Member of Parliament for Suffolk and Speaker of the House of Commons during the reign of King Richard II, represented Suffolk in the two parliaments of 1382, in those of 1383, in that of 1386, in...

Another 63 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wollgroves Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wollgroves In Ireland

Wollgroves In Ireland

Some of the Wollgroves family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Wollgroves, or a variant listed above: Charles and Edward Walgrave settled in Virginia in 1653.

Motto

Motto

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Crozier, William Armstrong Edition. Crozier's General Armory A Registry of American Families Entitled to Coat Armor. New York: Fox, Duffield, 1904. Print.

...

The Wollgroves Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Wollgroves Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.